I turn 33 this year folks. Everyone told me turning 30 would be horrible, but it wasn’t. Being over 30 is awesome. People take me more seriously, my kids are getting bigger and more helpful, and I like myself infinitely better than I did at 18. Sure, parts of my body are starting to sag, random hairs are sprouting on my chin, and my stomach hasn’t been flat in a decade. So what! The truth is I’m getting smarter, funnier and cuter every year I’m alive – and that’s something to celebrate.

When I was turning 30, I wanted to try something new, so I decided to learn how to roller-skate. My husband (the rollerblading dynamo) bought me a new pair of skates and every week on date night we would practice together. After a few of those dates, I was comfortable enough to skate around the block. I also picked up a pilates class to strengthen my core muscles and that made a huge difference in my skating.

After months of practice, I was ready for my grand entrance into my third decade. What better way to show off my new skills than a Disco roller skating birthday party?!?!? All of my friends came in costume and the music DJ played all of my favorite songs from “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire to “No More Tears” by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. I was in Disco heaven.

I had a cake.

My friends all showed up in their best Disco costumes.

My tongue-in-cheek motto for the evening was: It just might take 30 years to look this good!

So yes, Mormons do celebrate birthdays. Normally they are not as extravagant as mine was. I doubt I’ll ever have another party like that again. Most Mormon families like to take a day to celebrate the individuals that bring them happiness. Some families have birthday fairies that decorate the house while a child sleeps so they can wake up to a birthday surprise. Others have friend birthday parties. Some Mormon families may cook their child or spouse their favorite dinner. I know my favorite things near my birthday are handmade cards from my kids. The goal is to create family traditions that have meaning and make the birthday person feel special.

How do you celebrate birthdays? Please send in pictures and stories of your Mormon birthdays to mormonwoman(at)gmail(dot)com.

The post Ask a Mormon Woman: Do Mormons Celebrate Birthdays? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, love to gather. We gather to worship on Sundays. (Visitors are welcome!) We gather to our temples for marriages and to do work for our kindred dead. We gather for baptisms, midweek scripture study classes, weekly youth activities, camps for girls and Scouts. We gather for meetings just to correlate all of those activities, too.

But sometimes, we gather together just for FUN! When a congregation gathers together for fun we call it a Ward Party.

My ward loves to party. We have three annual parties.

1. The Ward Round Up. This is a cowboy themed party where we round up all the ward members from near and far, who have ever lived in our ward, to eat, ride on hay rides and play carnival games.

2. The Memorial Day Breakfast. Every Memorial Day [US holiday in May to commemorate those who have died while serving in the US military] we meet at a local park for pancakes, a flag ceremony and the inevitable water fight.

3. The Adult Dinner Party. This is our favorite and most beloved ward tradition. Here is an example of an Adult Dinner Party we’ve done recently:

First, the Ward Activity Committee decides on a theme. One time we based our Ward Party on a famous talent search.

Ward members were asked to put together skits or talents to share with an audience of around 250 people. The skits are never perfect, but the fun is in seeing the people I love get together and do silly things.

Next, we ask members of the congregation to bring side dishes and desserts to share and put together a Dinner Committee to make the main dish.

Members of the Relief Society sign up to decorate tables. Here were some of my favorites.

After dinner, we have a live show. After weeks of practicing there are often many mistakes, but we still have a lot of fun laughing together.

We always have a band.

In these pictures the band is playing “Ride, Sally, Ride” and “Proud Mary.” The youth who play instruments are always invited to play in the band.

Here is a picture of my mom in a skit:

Here is my picture of my friend being Napoleon Dynamite [character from a movie with the same name].

And here are pictures of my husband trying to break dance.

There is always a lot of hooting and hollering from the audience. No one can leave a ward party without a smile on their face.

To every thing there is a season.

A time to laugh.

A time to sing.

A time to dance.
(Ecclesiastes, chapter 3)

Our ward parties strengthen us and build unity. Our traditions bring us together and create community. I love the members of my congregation. After living in the same ward for over 25 years, I have been taught, inspired and led by these people. I see it as only fitting that we should have fun together as well!

Please share with us what kinds of parties your ward or branch [both are names of local congregations] like to have. Or share what kind of party you think sounds fun.

For more First Person essays, please click here.

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